It was chaos inside Sandton City Mall on Wednesday when authorities from the departments of Employment and Labour as well as Home Affairs conducted raids. Anxious waiters and waitresses were seen hastily fleeing from the opulent eateries located in Africa’s richest square mile in order to avoid arrests. The raids form part of the government of national unity’s strategy to enforce the rule of law in the hospitality sector. Raids conducted in Pretoria this week found some restaurants flouting laws. Ocean Basket and Babel in Menlyn were found to have employed undocumented foreign nationals. According to reports, some of the workers fled in Sandton because they are undocumented foreign nationals. They are working in the country illegally. Blitz started in Tshwane on Tuesday Among the six restaurants in the vicinity that were raided on Wednesday, were Tang and Doppio Zero. The department found that the majority of the establishments paid their staff solely commission and gratuities. Advocate Michael Msiza, the Gauteng chief inspector at the Department of Employment and Labour, said they started the blitz on Tuesday in Tshwane. “At Tang, we found a number of things that were wrong. But the main one is that they have not been paying salaries to their staff members. Staff not paid salaries, no safety precautions in place “They owe their employees! What we need to establish now is the duration of the time that their staff has been working. Calculate that and they have to pay them. This is regardless of their nationality,” he said. Msiza revealed that because of installation safety concerns, gas usage is not permitted at the restaurant. This implies that they must provide evidence that the gas used at the restaurant is safe to use. Until then, they will not operate as usual. “We discovered that the establishment employs about 100 staff members. Half of those are foreign nationals. According to law, companies are not allowed to employ foreign nationals. Unless they can prove that they have a skill that cannot be found in the country. “At this restaurant, they do not have first aiders for such a huge number of workers, that is wrong,” he added. Undocumented Zim national pleads that SA is all the home he has Meanwhile, five restaurant staff, including a manager were apprehended by the police. The manager was found to have employed undocumented foreign immigrants. This after Home Affairs flagged them for invalid work permits. Before getting inside the police van, one Zimbabwean national said South Africa is all he has known for all his life “Yes, I am Zimbabwean, but all I have known is this country. If they take me back to Zimbabwe, who am I going back to there? I came to South Africa at the age of three. And I have a wife and a child, my whole life is here,” he said. He further said he was trying to make ends meet with his job “I was not found by the side of the road trying to rob people, I was at work. Who is going to fetch my child from school now?” The raids will continue until September 20, according to the department.

Home Affairs Minister Leon Schreiber says the next phase of the Smart ID rollout will allow naturalised citizens to apply for the card, followed by permanent residence permit holders.

Both these categories of residents in South Africa have previously been unable to apply for Smart IDs, creating a major stumbling block in the DHA’s plans to modernise the ID system in the country.

Until earlier this year, the Smart ID was only available to born citizens.

As a result, naturalised citizens or permanent residents who had lost, stolen, or damaged green ID books could visit only a handful of offices that still support the issuing of the older document.

In addition, naturalised citizens and permanent residents could not use the Home Affairs online booking system, eHomeAffairs, to apply for passports.

In August, the Department of Home Affairs (DHA) started allowing naturalised citizens to apply for smart ID cards, following a pilot programme running since December 2023.

Schreiber announced that the system was gradually being phased in for naturalised citizens, with close to 700 applications being processed at the time.

Responding to a parliamentary Q&A this past week, the minister said that opening the system to naturalised citizens is part of the second phase of the Smart ID rollout and that permanent residents would soon also be able to apply for the cards.

However, he did not give specific timelines for the rollout of this phase.

“The Department used a phased approach (for the Smart IDs) which focused primarily on persons who are citizens by birth. The second phase will focus on other categories of citizens, e.g., naturalized citizens, followed by permanent residence permit holders,” he said.

“Permanent Residents will be eligible to apply for Smart ID Cards after the Naturalised Citizens have been included in the process flow of issuance of Cards—this would have proven system stability and capability to verify such applications.”

The Department of Home Affairs (DHA) introduced smart ID cards in July 2013 with the intention of phasing out green ID booklets from 2018 to 2022.

However, only 21 million Smart IDs had been issued by the end of 2023.

This means that 42 million people in South Africa would still need to be processed. This would require around 14 million Smart IDs to be issued each year over three years to meet the lofty target (not factoring in various variables like migration, births, deaths, etc).

According to the DHA, it issued 2.6 million smart ID cards against a target of 2.2 million in the 2022/23 financial year.

The new administration delivered the latest budget vote for the department in July. It said it was aiming for 2.5 million smart ID cards to be issued during the 2024/25 financial year.

The Department of Home Affairs took a decision to modernise most of its enabling documents by introducing the Live Capture System in 2013. The intention was to replace the Green Barcoded ID book with the more secure Smart ID Card.

Schreiber has committed to a broader digital-first strategy for the DHA, moving to modernise its systems to be more in-line with tech-forward institutions like SARS.

As South Africa’s economy becomes increasingly integrated with global markets, businesses are seeking foreign talent to fill critical roles. Hiring a foreigner in South Africa is not as straightforward as recruiting a local candidate, however. South African labour law imposes strict requirements that employers and foreign employees must meet to ensure compliance. Employers who fail to adhere to these regulations risk facing penalties, reputational damage or legal action . While the South African business landscape thrives on diversity, under the Immigration Act employers are prohibited from hiring a foreigner unless they possess a valid work visa. Additionally, the Employment Services Act mandates that employers must first ensure that no suitable South African citizen or permanent resident is available to fill the position before considering a foreign worker. These laws aim to balance South Africa’s need for skilled labour with the protection of local workers. When hiring a foreigner, employers should be diligent in gathering these crucial documents: Work Visa: A valid work visa is non-negotiable. The visa must correspond to the type of work the foreigner will be performing (for example general work visa, critical skills visa, intra-company transfer visa). Proof of Qualifications: Employers should verify that the foreign worker possesses the qualifications and skills claimed. In some cases, qualifications obtained abroad may need to be verified through the South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA). Passport: A valid passport with at least 30 days` validity after the intended departure date from South Africa. Proof of Residence: Foreign employees must provide evidence of legal residence in South Africa. This could be a residential lease or proof of accommodation. Employment Contract: A written employment contract outlining the terms and conditions of employment is essential. This contract must align with South Africa’s labour laws and regulations. Skills Transfer Plan: For certain positions, employers must prepare a skills transfer plan to ensure that skills are being transferred to South African employees. Tax Documentation: Employers must ensure the foreigner is registered with Sars and has the appropriate tax clearances in place. Employers who hire foreign nationals without valid work visas may face hefty fines or even imprisonment. Non-compliance with these regulations can result in severe penalties, including fines of up to R100,000. The department of home affairs conducts regular audits to ensure compliance, and businesses found in violation of immigration or labour laws could also be banned from employing foreigners in future. It is therefore crucial for employers to adhere strictly to these legal requirements to avoid legal repercussions and ensure a smooth hiring process. By understanding and complying with these legal requirements, South African businesses can successfully integrate foreign talent into their workforce, driving innovation and growth while staying within the bounds of the law. • Advocate Tertius Wessels is legal director at Strata-g Labour Solutions.

Minister of Home Affairs Leon Schreiber stated that 11 000 highly educated individuals could boost the economy by 1.8%.
Home Affairs aims to attract highly skilled workers to South Africa.
Minister of Home Affairs Leon Schreiber believes importing more tertiary educated workers will boost South Africa’s economy.
Schreiber gave a speech at the Rand Merchant Bank Morgan Stanley Investor Conference on Monday, where he spoke about his department’s role in economic growth.
As well as administrative functions, he envisioned a Department of Home Affairs (DHA) that was a driver of investment, tourism and opportunity.
Skills needed for economic boost
Schreiber said National Treasury had earmarked the attraction of highly skilled individuals to South African shores as the second highest need on the list of economic growth factors.  
The number one stumbling block to economic growth – load shedding – is a fading memory, priming the DHA for a pivotal role.
“Bringing just 11 000 more highly skilled and experienced individuals to South Africa would triple the annual growth rate from the 0.6% the country experienced last year,” Schrieber told the conference, citing International Food Poverty Research Institute analysis.
Opening the door to such high-value individuals would be achieved through a new remote work visa that only forces a working visitor to register with Sars if they spend more than half the year in the country.
The economic upside, as per Schreiber, is that these working tourists spend their earnings in South African shops, restaurants and entertainment venues.
Only 16% of South Africans with tertiary qualifications
South African consumers are under pressure, with many having little disposable income. Even high-income earners can have up to 45% of their income taken by the South African Revenue Service (Sars).
Anyone earning more than R1 million is subject to a R250 000 flat tax fee plus 41% of their taxable income.
Additonally, a study released by the Department of Higher Education and Training in March showed 16.6% of the population had a tertiary qualification – that number dropping to 7.3% for bachelor’s degrees.
Figures for nations in Asia, Europe, and the Americas were significantly higher, with Singapore, Denmark, Australia, and the United States all recording bachelor’s degrees for more than 30% of their populations.
Across G20 nations, a combined 41.5% of the populations between the ages of 25 and 35 had obtained tertiary qualifications, as opposed to 13.1% of South Africans in that age bracket.
How to quality for a Digital Nomad visa
As of June, international remote workers only needed to meet three simple criteria to qualify for Digital Nomad visa according to Nomads Den.
Applicants need:
•    a valid passport
•    contracts or verified proof of remote work
•    an annual income of R1 million
The visas are valid for 12 months and come with a 36 month renewal option.

• The White Paper on Citizenship, Immigration and Refugee Protection proposes a raft of legislative reforms. • One is that the period a foreign national resides in the country won`t be the main considering factor for granting permanent residency. • The Department of Home Affairs is looking to introduce a points-based system for foreign nationals to apply for residency. As part of major policy reforms to overhaul the country`s immigration system, the number of years a foreign national resides in the country will no longer be a main determining factor for granting permanent residency. Periodic invitations for qualifying foreigners to apply for permanent residence will be introduced, together with a points-based system. These are among several reforms as part of the White Paper on Citizenship, Immigration and Refugee Protection, as approved by Cabinet in April, as a policy to guide the drafting of new legislation and implementation of a new immigration and citizenship system. On Tuesday, Home Affairs Minister Leon Schreiber, his deputy, Njabulo Nzuza, and department officials presented the reforms to address challenges in immigration to the Portfolio Committee on Home Affairs. Mavuso said the policy framework affirmed the use of the critical skills list to attract international migrants with skills and qualifications that were in demand. `The number of years that a foreigner has resided in the country will no longer be a main determining factor for granting permanent residency. Periodic invitations for qualifying foreigners to apply for permanent residence will be introduced, together with the points-based system. `Introduction of limited-duration permanent residence permits linked to minimum investment. The policy framework must provide for the establishment of the Immigration Advisory Board that will advise the minister on policy and legislative matters. The policy framework and legislative intervention are required to establish the Immigration Division, whose members are duly qualified to deal with the granting of various visas,` Mavuso said. He said policy framework and legislative intervention were required to establish Immigration Courts. On the other hand, the Border Management Authority Act was expected to be reviewed to align it with Immigration and Citizenship`s new policy framework. In July, Schreiber decided to extend the temporary concession for foreign nationals currently awaiting the outcome of visa, waiver and appeal applications. According to Schreiber, the extension safeguards applicants - including those who are contributing to South Africa`s economy through their scarce skills - from suffering adverse consequences or being erroneously declared undesirable while they await the outcome of applications submitted to the department. The committee was not happy with that decision - and several MPs raised concerns about capacity to ensure that undocumented individuals were deported. Regarding the protection of refugees, the new legislation must enable the department to refuse admission of persons for whom there were reasonable grounds for regarding them as a danger to the security of the country. This also includes the introduction of the `First Safe Country` principle as a precondition for admitting asylum seekers who have transited through safe countries. Mavuso said refugees and asylum seekers travel through safe countries, but still chose to come to South Africa. `Are we dealing with genuine asylum seekers? Or just economic migrants. Asylum seekers must show good cause for their unlawful entry or presence in the country. Refugee reception offices must be located at ports of entry in line with international practice,` he said. Furthermore, Mavuso said the department was currently developing a supplementary policy paper, which would be submitted to the minister for approval by 31 March 2025. The supplementary paper will take into consideration the legal opinion which has since been commissioned by the department. The MK Party`s Sihle Ngubane said the department`s presentation appeared good, but the situation in reality was worse. `Here we go again, we are good on paper, but we are bad at implementation. The situation on the ground is not the way it is being presented here. We are used to that now in South Africa. We have porous borders, people are walking over the border like going from the bathroom to the dining room,` he said. The Patriotic Alliance`s Stacey-Lee Gaby Khojane spoke on the issue of scarce skills. `Before you bring in foreign skills, you need to go and consult with the Department of Higher Education. We have students with skills that are not finding employment. How will someone from the outside be a better choice than someone on the inside,` she said. The DA`s Adrian Roos said the legislation would bring synergy between various legislation regarding immigration and citizenship.